“Okay. Well, good luck.” She steps back through the door into the lobby before I can register what’s happening.
“Ember, wait,” I call after her.
Having to sneak through the women still filling the lobby, I reach Ember just as she’s about to exit the building. Her head whips in my direction when my hand grips her arm, an alarmed expression on her face.
“Sorry,” I say, releasing her. “I just… you came here for the job, right? Don’t you want to interview?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
That makes two of us, yet I want to drag her back into that conference room and interview the hell out of her. Repeatedly.
“Maybe, maybe not. We won’t know for sure unless you come back inside.” She looks hesitant, so I take a step toward her, my voice lowering. “If you’re worried because you ran out on me, I won’t hold it against you.”
She looks up at me, blue eyes twinkling and the slightest twinge of a smile.
“I don’t want to waste your time.” She glances over my shoulder. “You still have plenty of… candidates to interview.”
I arch my eyebrow as I glance back at the room filled with women. “Including you.” I press my hand to the small of her back and usher her back inside and straight into the conference room.
“Ryder…”
My name is on her lips, not how I pictured hearing it again, but it’s better than nothing.
“Take a seat. Ember, this is Mark. Mark, this is…”
“Your new nanny. I can feel it.” He sits at the table, looking pleased. If I didn’t know better, I would think he planned this. “So, Ember, since you and Ryder already know each other, this should be fairly easy.”
“I wouldn’t say we know each other,” Ember says. It’s a dig. One clearly intended to remind me of the fact that I never mentioned Amelia to her.
“Funny, Ryder made it seem like you two were pretty… close.”
Pulling my foot back, I give him a good solid kick.
She looks up at me and smiles as she takes her seat, our eyes locking just like they had on the street, just like when we had sex. Pure and utter desire lives in them just as I know it does in mine. Now, with her in front of me, I want to skip the damn interview and pick up where we left off.
Completely lost in her, I barely hear the first question Mark asks. I do, however, hear her response.
“I spent a lot of time babysitting my little brother, but I don’t have any official training or experience with children.”
Another unqualified candidate.
It’s probably a good thing. Hiring her would be a terrible idea. What man willingly puts something in his vicinity he can’t touch?
“I tried to tell you this was a waste of time,” she says with an apologetic smile.
“It isn’t a waste of time.” Before I can continue, the conference room door flies open, and a very enthusiastic Amelia comes barreling in, followed by Charlie.
“Sorry about that,” Charlie says, slightly out of breath. “She got away from me.”
Amelia shies away from people she doesn’t know. It’s part of what’s made finding her a babysitter so difficult. Not only do I need a person who’s qualified, I need one Amelia feels comfortable with.
Amelia sees Ember and much to my surprise, heads directly to her. She stares at her momentarily.
“I’m Amelia.”
Ember smiles at Amelia. “Nice to meet you, Amelia. I’m Ember.”
“I like your necklace. It’s real pretty.”